Wireless power distribution and scheduling

ABSTRACT

A wireless charger can determine a power requirement associated with operating at least a first device at a scheduled time. The wireless charger can determine a power emission level for the wireless charger based, at least in part, on the power requirement, such that the power emission level will provide sufficient wireless energy to satisfy the power requirement. The wireless charger can transmit wireless energy at the power emission level to cause the device to operate.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to thefield of wireless power, and, more particularly, to wireless powerdistribution and scheduling.

Wireless power charging is used to deliver energy to power-consumingdevices. Typically, the amount of power delivered is a fixed amount setby the transmitter. However, this can lead to an inefficiency if theamount of power is more than necessary, resulting in wasted orunconsumed wireless energy. Delivering too little energy may noteffectively charge the power-consuming device. Delivering too muchenergy, or delivering energy at a time when it will not be consumed,results in waste. Thus, an improvement to wireless power systems mayaddress these concerns.

SUMMARY

Provided is a method, system, computer program product, and apparatusfor wireless power distribution and scheduling. In one embodiment, amethod performed by a wireless charger comprises determining a powerrequirement associated with operating at least a first device at ascheduled time. A power emission level for the wireless charger isdetermined based, at least in part, on the power requirement. Thewireless charger transmits wireless energy at the power emission level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aspects of the disclosure may be better understood by those skilledin the art by referencing the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing wireless power supply for a pluralityof devices to introduce concepts of this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a histogram chart illustrating example device powerrequirement schedules in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a wireless powersystem in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating example operations performed by awireless power controller in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a chart illustrating an example line graph showing wirelesspower supply and device power requirements in accordance with anembodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating coordination of multiple wirelesschargers in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts an example computer system in accordance with embodimentsof this disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

The description that follows includes exemplary systems, methods,techniques, instruction sequences and computer program products thatembody techniques of the present inventive subject matter. However, itis understood that the described embodiments may be practiced withoutthese specific details. For instance, although examples refer to examplehousehold appliances, the implementation of this technology is notlimited to the described examples. For example, other implementationsmay be used for different types of power-consuming devices and inenvironments other than a household. In some instances, well-knowninstruction instances, protocols, structures and techniques have notbeen shown in detail in order not to obfuscate the description.

Wireless charging (also referred to as wireless power transfer orwireless energy transmission) is the transmission of electrical energyfrom a wireless charger (power source) to a power-consuming device,without the use of discrete man-made conductors. There are severaldifferent wireless charging technologies that use time-varying electric,magnetic, or electromagnetic fields. In wireless power transfer, awireless charger connected to a power source conveys the field energyacross an intervening space to one or more receivers, where it isconverted to electricity and consumed by a power-consuming device. Inthis disclosure, wireless charging may involve the transmission ofradiative (or far-field) technologies. The wireless transmission ofenergy may be “aimed” at a receiver, (such as power beaming orbeam-formed signals) or may be emitted in broadcast form. For the sakeof simplicity, this disclosure describes broadcast radiative energy.However, both forms of wireless charging may be used with the techniquesdescribed.

As the technology for wireless charging is evolving, severalmanufactures and groups have developed different interfaces forcoordinating wireless charging. Disparate user interfaces, redundanthardware, and inconsistent scheduling features may frustrate some usersor otherwise prevent their enjoyment of this technology. Furthermore,there is an interest in using wireless charging to provide power totraditional wired devices. However, with the introduction of morewireless chargers and/or more power-consuming devices, management of thewireless charging environment becomes more complicated. Similarly, asdescribed above, wireless charging can become inefficient if the amountof energy delivered is too little or too much than what is needed by apower-consuming device at a particular time.

This disclosure provides describes a technique for a wireless charger todetermine and deliver a proper amount of energy to a device to operatethe device at a time when the device needs the energy. The wirelesscharger may determine a power requirement associated with operating atleast a first device at a scheduled time. For example, a centralscheduling interface may maintain a schedule of operation for thedevice. A wireless charging controller may also utilize a device energyprofile to determine how much energy is needed by the device for one ormore functions of the device. Using the schedule and device energyprofile, the wireless charger may determine a power emission level thatthe wireless charger should transmit wireless energy to ensure that thedevice has sufficient energy to operate without transmitting excesswireless energy.

In some embodiments, the techniques described herein can provide acentralized control of several devices. Separate hardware or softwaremay not be needed for each power-consuming device, and traditional wireddevices may be transformed into “smart” devices by proactivelyscheduling and managing the amount of wireless energy delivered from awireless charger. Furthermore, in an environment, multiplepower-consuming devices can be wirelessly powered by one or morewireless chargers that coordinate power emissions based on the powerrequirements for the multiple devices.

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing wireless power supply of a pluralityof devices to introduce concepts of this disclosure. In the wirelesscharging system 100 shown a FIG. 1, a wireless charger 105 providesradiated energy to a plurality of devices. The power-consuming devicesinclude a coffee maker 110, a security system 120, a kitchen appliance130, and may include other device(s) 140. The radiated energy is emittedfrom a transmitting antenna included in the wireless charger 105. InFIG. 1, a first amount of wireless energy (shown as first area 162)reaches the coffee maker 110 and kitchen appliance 130. A second amountof wireless energy (shown as second area 172) reaches the securitysystem 120.

By increasing or decreasing the power emission level transmitted by thewireless charger 105, the wireless charger 105 can control how muchenergy is delivered to each appliance. For example, when power is neededby the security system 120, the wireless charger 105 may use a higherpower emission level so that wireless energy is transmitted to (andreaches) the security system 120 in the second area 172. However, whenpower is not needed by the security system 120, and is needed by thecoffee maker 110 or kitchen appliance 130, the wireless charger 105 mayuse a lower power emission level that results in wireless energytransmitted to (and reaching) the coffee maker 110 or kitchen appliance130. Thus, a lower power emission level may result in cost savings andless waste of unconsumed energy. Similarly, if the other device(s) 140do not require energy at a particular time, the wireless charger 105 mayradiate energy at a power emission level that does not reach the otherdevice(s).

By the example in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the power emission level(also referred to as a setting) of the energy radiated from the wirelesscharger 105 can be managed. The power emission level can be determinedbased on the device energy profile (e.g., amount of energy required tooperate the device), as well as the time in which the power is needed(e.g., a schedule of operation).

FIG. 2 is a histogram chart illustrating example device powerrequirement schedules in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure. The histogram 400 shows example device power requirementschedules for the coffee maker 110, security system 120, and kitchenappliance 130, plotted over the schedule of a typical day. The schedulemay be a set, in part, by a user input. For example, a user interfacemay be provided by the wireless charger 105 or a centralized server (notshown) to receive user input for typical functions of power-consumingdevices managed by the wireless charger 105. In addition to the scheduleof operation, the device power requirement schedules may include thedevice energy profile for a particular device. The device energy profileindicates how much energy is consumed by the device (under wirelesspower) for operating the device. The device energy profile may also beobtained, in part, from a database which indicates the power consumed byparticular devices for certain functions. For example, a database mayinclude device manufacturer specifications for power consumption.

Starting with a first example device power requirement schedule 212, auser may schedule morning coffee to be brewed by the coffee maker 110.The coffee maker 110 may be a “smart” device which is capable ofreceiving wireless energy by an internal receiver. Alternatively, thecoffee maker 110 may be a traditional wired coffee maker which has beenplugged into a wireless power receiver (rather than the wall socket). Byproviding wireless power to the coffee maker at a scheduled time, thewireless charger may manage the operation of the coffee maker 110.Starting at morning hours, from midnight to 06:00 am, the coffee maker110 may be off (or require only minimal, negligible, amount of energy).At 06:00 am, the coffee maker 110 may begin a period of operation 213.At 214, the wireless charger 105 may deliver a first level of wirelessenergy to the coffee maker. For example, the coffee maker 110 mayrequire a greater amount of energy during a first phase (e.g., heat andbrew) than it requires during a second phase (e.g., keep warm). At 216,the wireless charger 105 may reduce the amount of wireless energydelivered to the coffee maker 110 when the coffee maker 110 enters thesecond phase, the wireless charger 105 may reduce the power emissionlevel so that less energy is transmitted to the coffee maker 110. Doingso may conserve wireless energy that is otherwise unneeded by the coffeemaker 110. Then, at 218, the wireless charger 105 may further reduce thepower emission level to conserve energy and cause the coffee maker 110to shut off.

The security system 120 may have a different schedule of operation, asshown in FIG. 2. For example, more power may be needed during daytimehours for some components of the security system that are used duringthe day, while less power may be needed during the evening or nighttimewhen different components might be used. Once again, the device powerrequirement schedule 222 for the security system 120 may be specific tothe manufacture of the security system 120, the components included, andthe power requirements for each component that will be used at varioustimes in the schedule.

FIG. 2 also includes an example device power requirement schedule 232for the kitchen appliance 130. In the example of FIG. 2, the kitchenappliance 130 may only be operated during the evening hours from 18:00to 20:00. For example, the kitchen appliance 130 may be an oven or stovewhich can be programmed to cook a meal at a particular time. Thewireless charger 105 can deliver wireless power to the kitchen appliance130 when it is needed, and not deliver wireless power when it is notneeded.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a wireless powersystem in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. The wirelesscharging system 300 includes similar components as described in thewireless charging system 100 of FIG. 1. The wireless charging system 300includes the wireless charger 105, coffee maker 110, security system120, kitchen appliance 130, and other device(s). In FIG. 3, the wirelesscharger 105 is expanded to show an example wireless charger 105′ inaccordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. The wireless charger105′ includes a wireless charging controller 321 and a centralscheduling interface 323. The central scheduling interface 323 may beused to coordinate the schedule of operation for one or more devices.For example, the central scheduling interface 323 may be configured toreceive a user input indicating the schedule of operation. In oneembodiment, the central scheduling interface 323 may receive a messagefrom a corresponding application or interface executing on a userdevice.

The wireless charging controller 321 may utilize the schedule ofoperation managed by the central scheduling interface 323 in addition todevice energy profiles for one or more devices. For example, the memory307 may store a coffee maker profile 315, a security system profile 325,a kitchen appliance profile 325, and other device(s) profile(s) 345corresponding to coffee maker 110, security system 120, kitchenappliance 130, and other device(s), respectively. The device energyprofiles may be obtained from various locations and stored in the memory307 for use by the wireless charging controller 321. For example, thedevice energy profiles may be retrieved from a central database (notshown) which could be local or remote from the wireless charger 105. Thedevice energy profiles may be obtained from a manufacturerspecification. In one embodiment, the device energy profile may beobtained from the devices themselves, such as when the power-consumingdevice is a smart device capable of providing a message with its deviceenergy profile. Alternatively, the device energy profiles may bereceived via a user interface of a user device.

The wireless charging controller 321 may use both the schedule ofoperation from the central scheduling interface 323 and the deviceenergy profiles for corresponding devices that are scheduled to beactive/operated at a scheduled time to determine the power requirement(e.g., the amount of energy needed to be delivered to the target deviceat the scheduled time). The power requirement may be translated to apower emission level by an algorithm at the wireless charger 105′. Forexample, a relationship table between the power requirement and thepower emission level may be maintained at the wireless charger 105.Alternatively, the power emission level can be calculated mathematicallyusing an algorithm or formula at the wireless charger 105. In a simplestimplementation, the relationship between power requirement and poweremission level can be a linear scale.

In some embodiments, the location of the device to be wirelessly poweredmay also be determined. Additionally, or alternatively, the distancefrom the wireless charger 105 to the device may be determined. Forexample, the distance between the wireless charger 105 and the devicemay impact the amount of wireless energy that can be harvested at thedevice after transmission from the wireless charger. Greater distancesmay result in less energy that can be harvested. To compensate fordistance, the power emission level may be adjusted so that the amount ofenergy harvested by the device is at or above the power requirement forthe device at the scheduled time.

There may be formulas or other calculations that can be used todetermine an amount of energy that could be harvested by the device.Below is one example:

$P_{r} = {\frac{G_{s}G_{r}\eta}{L_{p}}\left( \frac{\lambda}{4\;{\pi\left( {d + \beta} \right.}} \right)^{2}P_{o}}$where d is the distance between the wireless charger and the device,P_(o) is the source power, G_(s) is the source antenna gain, G_(r) isthe receive antenna gain, L_(p) is polarization loss, λ is thewavelength, η is rectifier efficiency, and β is a parameter to adjustthe equation for short distance transmission. The equation is based onFriis transmission equation used in telecommunications engineering,which gives the power received by one antenna some distance away fromanother antenna transmitting a known amount of power. Except fordistance d, all other parameters in the equation are constant valuesbased on the environment and device settings. This model is based on theFriis' free space equation and has been experimentally shown to be agood approximation of charged energy. To further validate this chargingmodel, we perform additional experiments to investigate the chargedpower by varying distances between

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating example operations performed by awireless power controller in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure. The flow chart 200 begins at block 410.

At block 410, the wireless charger may determine a power requirementassociated with operating at least a first device at a scheduled time.To determine the power requirement, the wireless charger may performoperations with respect to one or more devices that may have a powerrequirement. For example, at block 420, the wireless charger maydetermine a device power requirement schedule associated with the firstdevice. The device power requirement schedule may comprise a deviceenergy profile and an operating schedule for the first device. Inanother example, at block 430, the wireless charger may determine thepower requirement associated with operating a plurality of devices atthe scheduled time.

After block 410, the flow chart 400 continues to block 440. At block440, the wireless charger determines a power emission level for thewireless charger based, at least in part, on the power requirement. Atblock 450, the wireless charger transmits wireless energy at the poweremission level.

FIG. 5 is a chart illustrating an example line graph showing wirelesspower and device power requirements in accordance with an embodiment ofthis disclosure. The chart 500 shows a measurement of energy on they-axis (in millijoules) and a schedule of time on the x-axis. A solidline 502 indicates the power requirement for one or more devices atvarious times through the schedule. A dashed line 504 indicates theamount of energy to be delivered from the wireless charger to the one ormore devices. By manipulating the power emission level at the wirelesscharger, the wireless charger can manage the amount of energy deliveredto the one or more devices over time. FIG. 5 shows the impact ofmodeling the power requirements. Adjusting the power emission level ofthe wireless charger over time can result in a more efficient deliveryof power (at or just over the amount needed) without transmitting excessenergy that is not needed for the power requirement to be satisfied.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating coordination of multiple wirelesschargers in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. In theexample wireless power system 600, multiple wireless chargers arepresent. A first wireless charger 670, a second wireless charger 680,and a third wireless charger 690 may coordinate their power emissionlevels to deliver power to the power-consuming devices. The multiplewireless chargers may communicate with each other (either directly orthrough a centralized communication server) so that each wirelesscharger has the schedule of operation and device energy profiles fordevices in their range. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the wirelesschargers may determine locations of the power-consuming devices andother wireless chargers. By coordinating, the wireless chargers canavoid a scenario where two or more wireless chargers deliver a fullpower requirement of wireless energy to the same device. Furthermore,the wireless chargers may combine their wireless energy transmissions tofulfill the power requirement in union. A few examples are describedbriefly below.

The first wireless charger 670 and second wireless charger 680 may bothcontribute wireless energy to the kitchen appliance 130. For example,the first wireless charger 670 may radiate energy using either the firstarea 672 or the second area 674. At a time when the first wirelesscharger 670 is transmitting wireless energy to satisfy a powerrequirement of the security system 120, the kitchen appliance 130 mayalso receive sufficient energy from the first wireless charger 670. Inthis scenario, the second wireless charger 680 may refrain fromtransmitting wireless energy in its coverage area 682. However, if the120 is not powered and the first wireless charger 670 is onlytransmitting enough energy to its first area 672, then the secondwireless charger 680 may also transmit wireless energy. Together thewireless energy from the first wireless charger 670 (in area 672) andthe wireless energy from the second wireless charger 680 (in area 682)may combine to satisfy the power requirement of the kitchen appliance130.

Similarly, the coffee maker 110 may be powered by the combination ofwireless energy from the first wireless charger 670 and the thirdwireless charger 690 (in area 692). In another time period, the thirdwireless charger 690 may transmit wireless energy at a higher powerlevel to satisfy a power requirement for other device(s) (in area 694).During this time period, the wireless energy to the coffee maker 110 maybe sufficient to power the coffee maker 110 without a transmission ofwireless energy from the first wireless charger 670.

Thus, the first wireless charger 670, second wireless charger 680, andthird wireless charger 690 may consider the locations of power-consumingdevices, the schedule of operation, and the device energy profiles forthose devices to determine an efficient distribution of power from amongthe multiple wireless chargers.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions. These computer readable programinstructions may be provided to a processor of a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions,which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmabledata processing apparatus, create means for implementing thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be storedin a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, aprogrammable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to functionin a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage mediumhaving instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufactureincluding instructions which implement aspects of the function/actspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

FIG. 7 depicts an example computer system 700. A computer systemincludes a processor 701 (possibly including multiple processors,multiple cores, multiple nodes, and/or implementing multi-threading,etc.). The computer system includes memory 707. The memory 707 may besystem memory (e.g., one or more of cache, SRAM, DRAM, zero capacitorRAM, Twin Transistor RAM, eDRAM, EDO RAM, DDR RAM, EEPROM, NRAM, RRAM,SONOS, PRAM, etc.) or any one or more of the above already describedpossible realizations of machine-readable media. The computer systemalso includes a bus 703 (e.g., PCI, ISA, PCI-Express, HyperTransport®,InfiniBand®, NuBus, etc.), a network interface 705 (e.g., an ATMinterface, an Ethernet interface, a Frame Relay interface, SONETinterface, wireless interface, etc.), and a storage device(s) 709 (e.g.,optical storage, magnetic storage, etc.). The computer system 700 mayalso include a wireless charging controller 721 (similar to wirelesscharging controller 321) and a central scheduling interface 723 (similarto central scheduling interface 323).

The system memory 707 embodies functionality to implement embodimentsdescribed above. For example, the system memory 707 may includeinstructions which, when executed by the processor 701, cause thecomputer system to perform any of the functionality described in FIGS.1-6. Any one of these functionalities may be partially (or entirely)implemented in hardware and/or on the processor 701. For example, thefunctionality may be implemented with an application specific integratedcircuit, in logic implemented in the processor 701, in a co-processor ona peripheral device or card, etc. Further, realizations may includefewer or additional components not illustrated in FIG. 7 (e.g., videocards, audio cards, additional network interfaces, peripheral devices,etc.). The processor 701, the storage device(s) 709, and the networkinterface 705 are coupled to the bus 703. Although illustrated as beingcoupled to the bus 703, the memory 707 may be coupled to the processor701.

While the embodiments are described with reference to variousimplementations and exploitations, it will be understood that theseembodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the present subjectmatter is not limited to them. In general, techniques for providingwireless power to devices as described herein may be implemented withfacilities consistent with any hardware system or hardware systems. Manyvariations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible.

Plural instances may be provided for components, operations orstructures described herein as a single instance. Finally, boundariesbetween various components, operations and data stores are somewhatarbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in the context ofspecific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionalityare envisioned and may fall within the scope of the described subjectmatter. In general, structures and functionality presented as separatecomponents in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as acombined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionalitypresented as a single component may be implemented as separatecomponents. These and other variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements may fall within the scope of the present subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method performed by a wireless charger, the method comprising: determining a power requirement associated with operating at least a first device, the power requirement representing how much wireless energy will be consumed by the first device to operate the first device during a scheduled time; determining a power emission level for the wireless charger based, at least in part, on the power requirement; and transmitting wireless energy at the power emission level during the scheduled time.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power requirement comprises: determining the power requirement associated with operating a plurality of devices at the scheduled time, the power requirement including a first device power requirement for the first device and a second device power requirement for a second device.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power requirement comprises: determining a device power requirement schedule associated with the first device, wherein the device power requirement schedule comprises a device energy profile and an operating schedule.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the device power requirement schedule comprises: receiving at least part of the operating schedule from a user input.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the device power requirement schedule comprises: obtaining at least part of the device energy profile from a database having a plurality of device energy profiles associated with a corresponding plurality of devices.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the wireless energy comprises: transmitting the wireless energy to the first device to satisfy the power requirement associated with operating the first device at the scheduled time.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the wireless energy causes the first device to operate at the scheduled time, and wherein not transmitting the wireless energy causes the first device to not operate.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power requirement comprises: determining a plurality of devices in a wireless charging field of the wireless charger; determining a plurality of device power requirement schedules corresponding to the plurality of devices; wherein the power requirement for the scheduled time comprises a maximum power requirement for the scheduled time from among the plurality of device power requirement schedules.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: estimating an amount of other wireless energy to be delivered to the first device from one or more other wireless chargers; and reducing the power requirement by the amount of other wireless energy.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: coordinating with the one or more other wireless chargers to determine the amount of other wireless energy to be delivered from the one or more other wireless chargers, wherein both of at least a first wireless charger and a second wireless charger contribute wireless energy to satisfy the power requirement associated with operating the first device at the scheduled time.
 11. An apparatus for wireless charging, the apparatus comprising: a processor; and memory having instructions stored therein which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: determine a power requirement associated with operating at least a first device, the power requirement representing how much wireless energy will be consumed by the first device to operate the first device during a scheduled time; determine a power emission level for a wireless charger based, at least in part, on the power requirement; and transmit wireless energy via the wireless charger at the power emission level during the scheduled time.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: determine the power requirement associated with operating a plurality of devices at the scheduled time, the power requirement including a first device power requirement for the first device and a second device power requirement for a second device.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: determine a device power requirement schedule associated with the first device, wherein the device power requirement schedule comprises a device energy profile and an operating schedule.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: receive at least part of the operating schedule from a user input.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein wherein the instructions to determine the device power requirement schedule comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: obtain at least part of the device energy profile from a database having a plurality of device energy profiles associated with a corresponding plurality of devices.
 16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein transmitting the wireless energy causes the first device to operate at the scheduled time, and wherein not transmitting the wireless energy causes the first device to not operate.
 17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: determine a plurality of devices in a wireless charging field of the wireless charger; determine a plurality of device power requirement schedules corresponding to the plurality of devices; wherein the power requirement for the scheduled time comprises a maximum power requirement for the scheduled time from among the plurality of device power requirement schedules.
 18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: estimate an amount of other wireless energy to be delivered to the first device from one or more other wireless chargers; and reduce the power requirement by the amount of other wireless energy.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: coordinate with the one or more other wireless chargers to determine the amount of other wireless energy to be delivered from the one or more other wireless chargers, wherein both of at least a first wireless charger and a second wireless charger contribute wireless energy to satisfy the power requirement associated with operating the first device at the scheduled time.
 20. A computer program product for wireless charging, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code configured to: determine a power requirement associated with operating at least a first device, the power requirement representing how much wireless energy will be consumed by the first device to operate the first device during a scheduled time; determine a power emission level for a wireless charger based, at least in part, on the power requirement; and transmit wireless energy via the wireless charger at the power emission level during the scheduled time. 